Prey
by RandiGirl17
Summary: An altered Shadowhunter world! There is no Institute, and Shadowhunters are rogues, always working alone. Something or someone has been killing Shadowhunters one by one. Enter Jace and Alec. Will they be able to work together to find the murderer, or kill each other in the process?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all! So this is the first chapter of my new story! It's quite a different concept. The characters are the same, but slightly altered. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading! Review it up! :)**

Rain pattered noisily against the cafe window, joining the incessant chatter, tinkering of plates and silverware, and clicking of nails against laptop keyboards in a storm cloud of clamour. I sipped my coffee and continued to scan the newspaper, undisturbed by the racket. The din was strangely comforting. The constant blaring of traffic, clacking of shoes against the sidewalk and pulsing of hypnotic music was as familiar to me as the steady beat of my heart. Silence was my undoing; it screamed louder than the combined hubbub of New York in its entirety.

I peeked over the top of the newspaper as a girl sitting at the bar giggled too loudly. Her cheeks were flushed as she flirted with the boy sitting next to her. The two couldn't have been any more opposite. She had college student plastered all over her: light brown hair pulled into a messy braid, black rimmed glasses, clad in a body-hugging gray sweater and baggy black sweatpants with a bulging book bag resting in her lap. He wore a black leather jacket zipped all the way to his throat and a pair of frayed jeans. His hair was decent enough; black in color and, despite the slightly longer length, expertly styled into a faux hawk. I found myself rather distracted by the piercing in his eyebrow and the thin streak of black lining both of his shockingly blue eyes.

The boy tilted his head as he talked with her. He flashed a brilliant smile as he reached his fingertips forward and rested them over hers. The blush in the girl's cheeks deepened as she reached into her book bag for a pen and a piece of paper. She scribbled something onto it - her number no doubt - and passed the paper to the boy, eyes twinkling. He folded it and tucked it into his pocket, flaunting his million watt smile all the while.

I began to fold the newspaper and reached for my coffee cup. I had seated myself against the wall at the far end of the cafe, giving myself an optimum vantage point. My eyes scanned the shop again and peered through the window, noting every passerby. The dagger hidden in my boot burned against my skin, anticipation creeping up my leg.

A small bell chimed and another boy stepped into the cafe. His clothes were sodden and his blonde hair was plastered to his head. He spotted the boy in black at the bar and approached him as one might approach an old acquaintance.

I took another swig of my coffee. _Well, this just got interesting. _

The boy in black gently touched the girl on her arm as he bid her farewell and got up from his seat. He opened the door for the blonde to pass through, then followed him out into the rain. I chugged another swallow of my drink and left the half-empty cup on the table with the newspaper. Exiting the cafe, I spotted the two farther up the street and, pulling my hood over my head, began to follow them. I hung back and put a few members of the crowd between us as we came to a crosswalk. The two did not converse as they waited for the crossing sign, but I noticed the nervous twitching of the blonde's fingers.

I pursued them across the street and up three more blocks before they took a turn into an alleyway. After giving them a bit of a head start, I peered around the corner in time to see them disappear around another bed. My feet carried me cautiously but swiftly, my footsteps whispers against the ground. As I approached the corner, I pressed my back against the wet bricks and glanced over my shoulder.

The rain clouds had darkened the sky, but I could still make out the boys in the distance, now facing each other in what looked like a heated argument. The blonde had his hand extended, palm up, but the black haired boy was shaking his head. When the blonde grabbed him by the front of his jacket, the boy in black roughly shoved him back, breaking contact. As the blonde regained his balance, a rippling motion spread across his exposed skin. He hissed something, but the dark haired boy only smiled tauntingly, seeming oblivious to his friend's changing physical appearance. Swifter than a flash of lightning, the blonde grabbed the dark haired boy's arm and hurled him farther down the alley. He ricocheted off a brick wall and landed near a fence made of tall, rickety boards, unmoving.

Slipping my dagger out of my boot, I started towards the blonde at a brisk walk.

"Hey, ugly!"

The blonde turned from the dark haired boy to me. His eyes narrowed as I approached, but he made no move to flee. Another ripple passed over his skin as he clenched his hands into fists.

"What's the matter?" I asked. "Don't like to play nice with others?"

"Nephilim," the blonde spat.

I pulled back my hood and grinned. "In all my glory."

The blonde's skin began to lighten to a sickly gray color. As his two brown eyes faded, a cluster of black eyes appeared. His nose receded into his skull until only two nostril slits remained. His mouth stretched into a gaping hole, revealing rows upon rows of serrated teeth. The roar he sent at me sounded like a thousand clocks ticking at once. Not at all frightening, but eerie.

I charged at him, swinging my dagger at his chest, but he ducked out of the way and swept my leg out from under me. I curled into a ball and rolled forward as my body hit the ground, jumping back to my feet and whipping around to face him. His shoulder slammed into my stomach as he tackled me back to the ground. My dagger flew out of my hand and landed with a clang out of my reach. I tucked my legs in and pushed them out hard, my feet pushing the demon off of me. Rolling onto my stomach, I tried to crawl over to my dagger, but the demon snatched my ankle and dragged me towards him. Wrenching my foot out of his grasp, I kicked him in the side of the head, but that only pissed him off. Grabbing my ankle again, he lifted me off the ground and, like cracking a whip, slammed me back down.

Stars swam in front of my eyes as my head cracked against the ground. Before I could recover, the demon threw me against the brick wall and crouched in front of me. I stared down into his salivating mouth. My dagger was still too far away. Blinking away the dizziness, I punched the demon in the side of the head. He teetered slightly but, with the reflexes of a snake, enclosed my wrist in a bone-crushing grip and clamped his mouth over my forearm. I screamed as one hundred serrated teeth sliced through my coat and punctured my skin.

There was a soft grunt and the demon suddenly released my arm. His body gave a jerk before collapsing in on itself. There was a faint hissing noise as thin wisps of smoke spiraled up from the puddle of purple-black ooze left in his place. The black haired boy was now crouched in front of me, my dagger clenched tightly in his hand.

I cradled my heavily bleeding arm against my chest and leaned my head back against the wall, nausea roiling my stomach. I started to say thank you but the words were choked off in my throat when the dark haired boy pointed the blade at me.

"Why were you following me?" he asked, his voice cold.

"I wasn't following you," I said through clenched teeth. "I was following _him_."

Still aiming the dagger at me, he reached forward and pulled the collar of my coat and t-shirt down, revealing the curve of a rune against my collar bone. He sat back on his heels, his eyes calculating.

"You're a Shadowhunter."

"Really?" I gasped sarcastically. "That never occurred to me."

The corner of the boy's lips quirked up into a crooked smile. His gaze fell down to my injured arm. He stood up and offered me his hand.

"I know someone that can heal that."

I stared up at him. He _had_ saved my life, but he'd been fraternising with a demon just moments before. And he was still holding my dagger. The moment he pulled me up, that dagger could be lodged into my back or chest.

"Or you can just stay here and bleed to death." He looked pointedly at my arm. "I hope it doesn't get infected."

"You think you're going to lure me back to your place? Let me guess, your house is made of candy and someone waiting there wants to eat me?"

"Only after we fatten you up first."

His sensor of humor eased some of my suspicions. I took his proffered hand and he hauled me to my feet. I watched his every movement intently, poised on the balls of my feet in case I needed to make a break for it.

The boy shrugged off his leather jacket and handed it to me. I took it from him but held it in my hand and stared at it, confused.

"Sweetheart," I said, "this is only the first date. It's a little early to be leaving your things at my place, don't you think?"

The boy smirked and let out a quiet laugh. "Drape it over your arm. We don't need people freaking out over it."

I wrapped the wet material around my forearm, wincing as the pressure stung my wounds. "How far away is your friend?"

The boy was bent over. He lifted the right leg of his pants and slipped my dagger into his own boot. Relief and anger flooded through me. It was better that he no longer held my weapon in his hand, but I wanted it back. Why did he need it if he was trying to help me?

"Not very far," he replied, straightening.

We walked out of the alley and continued in the direction we'd been going before the confrontation. I had to hurry to keep up with him. Every step agitated the steadily growing throbbing in my head.

Seven blocks later, we finally turned into the entrance of an expensive-looking apartment building. The boy pulled a card out of his pocket and swiped it through a device on a second set of doors. It beeped and he pushed it open, holding the door to let me pass. We walked through the brightly lit lobby and headed for the elevator. Within a second of pushing the button, the doors slid open soundlessly. We stepped inside and the boy pushed the button for the top floor.

"Your friend lives in the penthouse?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Impressed?"

If I hadn't been before, I was when the doors slid open. We were at the end of a long hallway. There was a boarded walkway leading down the middle, but the rest of the floor was made of water. Muted alternating colors rippled under the water's surface and danced across the white walls and ceiling.

"This way."

I followed him across the flat bridge until we rounded the corner. I stopped to admire the living space, awe erasing the pain in my arm. Off to one side was the kitchen, complete with luxury appliances. The stainless steel and granite counter tops glittered under the bright lights, spotless. Beyond the kitchen was a room with one wall entirely made out of glass, overlooking the hustle and bustle of the streets below, the city lights and the rolling rain clouds. In front of the wall-sized window was an enormous flat screen TV, surrounded with speakers and leather furniture.

"Magnus!" The boy banged his fist against a closed door between the living room and the kitchen.

The door opened and a man stepped out. His dark hair was also spiked, and he was dressed in an expensive suit, jacket left open and minus the tie. He had a slim frame, but there were still hints of muscle under his unwrinkled clothing. He removed a pair of black rimmed glasses from his face, drawing my attention to his cat-like eyes, which were outlined with black eyeliner.

"You brought home a friend," Magnus said flatly.

"His arm got mauled by a demon," the boy explained, crossing his arms and leaning against a wall. "I told him you could fix him up."

Magnus was unimpressed. "You brought home a mundane?"

"Nope. He's a Shadowhunter. He kind of saved my life."

"Really?" Magnus's face softened. "Well in that case..."

He approached me with long strides. He began to unwrap the jacket from my arm, muttering an apology when I hissed in pain. He turned my arm over, inspected every bleeding tooth mark. He tossed the jacket back at his friend and beckoned for me to follow him. We wandered down a different hallway until coming to a giant bathroom. Magnus instructed me to hold my arm over the sink.

"So, Shadowhunter," he said casually, still gazing at my arm. "How does one _kind of_ save a life?"

I shrugged. "The demon attacked him, so I attacked the demon, but then the demon attacked me and then he killed it."

Magnus placed his palm over my forearm. Blue sparks rained down onto my skin. They were cool to the touch and instantly my pain began to ebb, including the throbbing in my head. The holes in my arm slowly began to close, only faint white scars remaining. He continued the process around my entire forearm, and when he finished he smiled at me.

"Good as new."

"Thank you." I ran my fingers over the numerous minuscule bumps on my skin.

"Feel free to wash up," Magnus invited. "Just rinse the blood from the sink when you're done."

I turned on the faucet and scrubbed the blood smears from my forearm, sighing as the warm water eased the tense muscles there. I washed the skin a second time using the sandalwood scented soap sitting beside the sink. Afterwards, I rinsed out the sink as Magnus had asked, making sure it was free from any speckles of blood and dried my hands before finding my way back to the kitchen.

Magnus was leaning against one of the couches, peering over the shoulder of his friend who was sitting down with his feet propped up on the coffee table in front of him. He straightened and turned when I appeared.

"So what's your friend's name?" Magnus asked the dark haired boy.

"Beats me."

Magnus's mouth fell open. The dark haired boy cried out when Magnus cuffed him over the back of the head.

"Go introduce yourself, you ninny."

Sighing heavily, the boy got up from the couch and approached me. He held out his hand and plastered a fake smile on his face.

"Hello," he said with forced politeness. "My name is Alexander."

"Jace," I replied, shaking his hand.

"Call me what you like. Alexander works, but so does Alec, Alex or Lex." He tightened his grip on my hand and leaned forward, his eyes deadly. "But you may _not_ call me Al. Ever."

All I could do was nod. Alec headed back towards the couch and with a wave of his arm, indicated for me to follow. He plopped back down on the leather and set his feet on the table, crossing his ankles. I sat down beside him, awkwardly looking around and trying not to be bothered by the uncomfortable silence.

"Well, my work here is done," Magnus announced. "I've got work elsewhere. Keep the TV down, Alec."

Alec held up his arm and did a thumbs up. A soft thud signalled the closing of a door, and we were left in silence once again. Alec reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a lighter. Absently, he began flicking the cap off and flipping it shut. He did it over and over, staring into space as the clanging reverberated around us.

"Are you going to give me my dagger back?" I queried.

Alec looked at me, still playing with the lighter, his eyes amused. "What? No token of your gratitude?"

I shrugged. "Fine. I supposed you can use it to start your shrine of me. For the record, I'd prefer it if you ask before cutting off a lock of my hair."

When Alec laughed, I relaxed and slouched back into the couch. I stared at the puddle forming on the coffee table under Alec's boots. He seemed relatively unconcerned about the mess, but I wondered if Magnus would be pissed.

"So how did you come to know a warlock?"

"It's pretty hard not to know Magnus Bane," Alec scoffed. "He's only the most sought after warlock in the city, if not the entire world."

I nodded, not daring to admit I hadn't heard much about him. "Is he a family friend?"

"He's my boyfriend."

I fought to keep my face composed. Alec took notice of my lack of words and looked over at me, unbothered by my evident surprise.

"You look shocked."

"But in the cafe...the girl..." I stammered.

"Not my type," Alec said simply. "She was pretty, and I wanted to make her feel like she was."

"Oh."

A soft ding and the sound of boots thumping over the wooden bridge saved me from any further response. Alec and I glanced over our shoulders to watch for the newcomer. A boy came into view, the same age as Alec and I. He was covered from head to toe in gray ashes and splotches of dark green ichor. He stopped and held up his finger as he noticed Alec and I gaping at him.

"Don't start with me," he warned.

Alec, grinning widely, couldn't seem to resist. "Are those giant boogers?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "They are most certainly _not_ boogers. There was a minor incident involving a demon explosion. I'm fine, thanks for asking."

"Is all that gray stuff the dust that made the demon sneeze his boogers all over you?"

The boy ignored Alec and focused on me. He inclined his head and his dark eyes narrowed. I could feel the distrust seeping from his pores from across the room.

"Who's the blonde?"

"This is Jace," Alec introduced, switching his focus to tossing his lighter into the air and catching it.

The boy crossed the floor and, keeping the back of the couch between us, held out his hand.

"Jace," he said, testing out my name. "I'm JC. Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern. I'm Alec's partner."


	2. Chapter 2 (Burden)

"Alec's partner?" I repeated, taking JC's hand.

"Does that surprise you?" JC's grip tightened.

"Last time I checked," I said, unflinching, "Shadowhunters worked alone. It's hard enough watching your own back, let alone guarding someone else's, too."

Alec snorted and began weaving his lighter in and out of his fingers. "Working solo hasn't exactly done us any favors."

JC finally dropped my hand. "Not unless you have a death wish."

It was true. The number of Shadowhunter casualties had risen drastically over the past few months. Stumbling upon a Nephilim's body had become a daily routine. Even more unnerving was the consistent lack of telltale signs revealing the cause of death. Not one of the bodies displayed stab wounds, strangulation marks, fang marks or any other life threatening injuries. It was if they had simply collapsed to the ground, gone, dead. Still, those of us that remained were not lining up to recruit fellow Shadowhunters into the "buddy system". For all we knew, the murders were an inside job. Trust became a possession, a lifeline, never to be put into another Shadowhunter's hands...until now, it seemed.

"I'm going to have a shower," JC announced. "If Magnus sees me like this he'll have a fit."

"Dress up when you're done. Tonight we're hitting the town."

The only response was the closing of the bathroom door down the hall. I studied Alec in silence as he flicked the lighter and watched the mesmerizing dance of the small flame. The fire licked at his callused fingertips as he passed them over it, his face impassive. Clearly, Alec did not trust strangers easily. He'd been cynical enough to point a dagger at my throat while I was laying on the ground, bleeding. With his strength and fearlessness, he was a natural rogue, only taking orders from himself. And yet, the piercing in his eyebrow, black eyeliner and the desire to rest his dirty footwear on the furniture screamed rebel. He was different, a renegade. Why had he abandoned solitude for a partnership? Was it just to break the mould? To stand out? Or was there something buried deep inside him that convinced him to shuffle the cards? Perhaps an underlying fear of being alone?

"Word to the wise." Alec interrupted my train of thought. "You shouldn't ogle people like that."

"What?"

"It's off-putting." He wrinkled his nose. "And creepy."

"You should take it as a compliment."

"Why's that?" Alec asked, his tone hinting at defensiveness.

"Because," I said, admiring my fingernails, "I'm not usually the one staring; I'm usually the one getting stared _at_."

Alec flicked the cap of his lighter shut, extinguishing the flame and the tension in the room. "You are a nice piece of cougar bait. No doubt about it."

I pressed my hand to my chest, feigning flattery. "Oh, Alexander. You just tickle my insides."

Alec laughed, and my smile mirrored his. He opened his mouth to speak but another voice cut in:

"You know, the conversation is flowing pretty freely for someone who prefers a one man wolf pack."

I swivelled my head around and caught JC back in the kitchen, his hip propped against the counter as he scrubbed at his dripping hair with a towel. Though he'd kept his tone light, the spite dripping behind his words did not slip past my ears. But he did have a point; I'd only met Alec a short time ago, - under questionable circumstances - but here I sat, talking and joking with him as if he was my brother, not a complete and potentially dangerous stranger. I'd let my guard slip for a bout of conversation.

_Serves you right if your carcass winds up in a gutter by tomorrow morning._

"Give him a break, JC," Alec said reproachfully. "He saved my ass today."

"Really?" JC's voice was bored, dubious.

"Yeah. He did." Alec got up from the couch and stretched. "Not that he had to. He could have just kept walking."

"How chivalrous of him."

Alec ignored the blasé comment. "Are you ready to go? I want to get some chow before we start the job."

"What about sunshine over there?" JC flicked his chin out at me.

Alec's striking blue eyes fell on me again, twinkling. "What do you say, loner?"

"What do I say about what?"

"Want to make the duo a trio?"

The nightclub was packed. Bodies writhed and ground against each other to the tantalizing beat of thundering music. The air was humid; a fine mist was visible in the flashes of multicolored strobe lights. The heat and the deafening noise only encouraged the mundanes into dancing harder, spinning faster and pounding back an endless supply of drinks.

I stood off on the side of the club with Alec, arms crossed over my chest, looking - and feeling - like a bump on a log. Alec, drink in hand and head bobbing to the music's rhythm, was better at blending in. Our eyes were on the dance floor, watching as JC danced provocatively with a girl in a low cut top, mini skirt and thigh-high stilettos.

"Is he always this familiar with the ladies?" I yelled, struggling to keep my voice afloat.

Alec shrugged. "He's always so uptight at home. This is the only way he knows how to let loose."

I averted my eyes as JC's hands skimmed over the girl's body intimately. "So why'd you lie to him?"

"What do you mean?"

"You told JC I saved your life. You made it sound like I jumped in to be some sort of hero, but we both know I was just finishing a job I started."

Alec nodded, considering my remark. When he opened his mouth to reply, his eyes locked onto something across the dance floor and his body stiffened. I followed his gaze to two tall figures drifting through the crowd. As if sensing our stares, one of them glanced back in our direction. Even against his milky pallor, his silver eyes were far too bright to be human.

_Downworlders._

Alec set his drink on a nearby table and began twisting through the throng of people. I followed close behind, my eyes never leaving the vampires as they hastily made their way to the exit. Alec tapped JC's shoulder as we passed but did not stop to talk. I could feel JC's eyes burn into my back as he fell into step with us.

Eventually we managed to push ourselves outside. I inhaled a breath of cool, fresh air and looked around. Alec spotted them before I did. His pace was measured; slow enough to make it seem like we were not stalking anybody, but swift enough not to let the Downworlders out of our sight.

Block after block passed beneath our feet. I soon found myself disorientated by the labyrinth of streets and buildings. Alec and JC seemed too focused on our targets to be bothered by the declining affluence around us. The growing hush that swept over the surrounding area sent shivers down my spine.

The Downworlders turned and passed through the open door of a deserted warehouse, fading into the shadows slithering inside. The three of us came to a halt, scouting the outside for any vampires hiding in the cover of night.

"That seem a little too easy to you?" JC asked.

Alec removed the glamour from his weapons belt and unsheathed a seraph blade. "Did you expect anything less? They love the taste of our blood. Dinner just got delivered."

JC and I pulled out our own seraph blades. Witchlights in hand, we moved towards the door, drawn in to the beckoning of lethal darkness.

"Every last one of them dies," Alec reminded us.

Our backs to each other, we kept a tight formation as we crept to the center of the main floor. Our only company was the soft whispers of our breathing and the barely audible shuffling of our feet. Combined, our witchlights illuminated half the floor, but I still felt swallowed by the sinister dimness.

"Alec."

Two silver eyes, glowing like a cat's in the dark, were staring at us from the right. JC stalked forward, his face determined.

"JC, wait!"

There was a loud snap, like a rope being pulled taut, and JC's feet swept out from under him. His body was flipped upside down and he was dragged upwards, dangling by one leg. The witchlight slipped from his fingers as his feet broke through the boards above and he disappeared onto the next floor. Splinters of wood rained down on us. Thuds, bangs and screeches followed the chips downward.

As if on cue, four vampires emerged from the shadows, fangs bared and lips curved into malicious smiles. I swallowed hard, my heart racing with both exhilaration and fear. Alec's back suddenly pressed against mine.

"Stay close to me," he whispered.

The feeling of having my back guarded was alien to me, but I found myself relaxing slightly, comforted. I felt less exposed; I was not fighting four vampires alone, I was fighting two. I'd spent my entire life learning to survive on my own, never relying on anyone to protect me, but putting my trust in Alec was as easy as breathing. He had my back, and I found myself ready to willingly sacrifice life or limb for him.

The two vampires from the nightclub charged us first. I ducked out of the way as the Downworlder lunged for my throat and swung my blade at his belly, but he twisted away and sprung at me again. His body collided with my side and knocked me to the floor, where we rolled in a dizzying frenzy to gain the advantage. The vampire pinned me beneath him, grinning triumphantly as I struggled to free my wrists. With a hiss he opened his jaws and ducked his head down towards my neck.

A whistle cut through the air and something wet splattered against my face. At first I thought it was my own blood that had spurted from the bite, but there was no pain. Absently, I had closed my eyes while I waited for the attack. I opened them now, and found a headless corpse hovering over me. I wrenched myself free and pushed the body off to the side.

Alec was backed against a wall, holding off the remaining three vampires. He had moved from where we were before and his seraph blade was stained with black blood. He'd saved me.

"Hey!"

All three of the Downworlders turned their heads towards me. Alec swung his blade at the nearest vampire, decapitating him as he was distracted by my yelling. The other two threw themselves out of the way before Alec could touch them. I jumped to my feet and bolted towards the one closer to me. We clashed against each other, knocking the breath out of my lungs, but I swung us around, putting myself between him and Alec. When he reached for me I swung my blade in an arc and the weapon drove itself upwards from the vampire's gut into his ribcage. He snarled but before he could do anything more, I yanked the blade out and swung it sideways, severing his neck. The look of shock remained on his face as his head separated from his body.

"Jace! Back flip!"

I launched myself into the air and tumbled heels over head before landing, perfectly balanced, on the balls of my feet. The last Downworlder came to a halt, now in front of me. The reversal of our positions caught him off guard. I decapitated him before he could turn around to face me.

Alec appeared at my side, panting heavily. When I turned to look at him my eyes widened at the blood gushing down the side of his face from a deep slash in his cheek. I swore and held my witchlight closer to his face to inspect the wound.

"What the hell happened to you?"

Alec kicked at the vampire's hand with the toe of his boot until the fingers unclenched and a shard of glass tinkered against the floor. "Bastard must have picked it up from somewhere in here."

"We need to get you back to Magnus."

"Not until we burn these sons of bitches," Alec argued. "JC!"

"Don't get your panties in a knot!"

Alec and I glanced upwards. JC was sliding down towards us on the rope that had snagged him, his seraph blade sheathed at his hip. When his feet landed firmly on the ground, he gave the rope a sharp tug.

"Nifty little booby trap."

"How many were upstairs?" Alec asked.

"Only three." JC grinned. "Piece of cake."

Alec sheathed his weapon and pulled out his lighter. "Let's pile them up and get the hell out of here. I could use a drink."

The three of us split up, each grabbing a separate body and dragging it into the center of the floor. I retraced my steps back to the matching head, but when I reached down to pick it up, a loud clang interrupted my movements. I whirled around, expecting a forgotten Downworlder to materialize before us. But it had not come from a vampire.

Alec was standing over one of the carcasses, his eyes wide and his face drained of color. His lighter was laying on the ground where he had dropped it. He crouched down and, with a shaky hand, reached out to the hollow of the vampire's throat. When he pulled his hand away and straightened, I caught the glint of a golden chain dangling from his clenched fingers. He stared at the object in his palm for what felt like hours, completely silent. When I looked over at JC, his expression was as baffled as my own. Before either of us could say a word, Alec's face contorted with rage and he stormed past us, exiting the warehouse. JC shot me another look before dashing after him.

I hesitated, unsure if it was my place to follow. There was a shimmer in the dark, a silent answer to my question. I retrieved Alec's lighter from the floor and started after them.

The return trip back to Magnus's was tense and uncomfortably quiet. JC and I had kept our mouths shut all the way back to the apartment building out of respect. When we got in the elevator, JC mustered enough courage to ask what was wrong, but Alec ignored him. He glared at the elevator doors, seething.

"You should really get Magnus to look at that cut," I said quietly.

Alec blinked and touched his fingers to his cheek, as if he'd forgotten about the injury. When he pulled his hand away and glimpsed the blood thickly coating his skin, he curled his fingers into a fist and returned to staring daggers at the elevator doors. His silence roused a worry harbored deep inside my gut.

The second the doors slid open, Alec started forward, moving at an alarming pace. We followed him into the main area where Magnus was leaning against the kitchen counter, sipping a cup of steaming liquid and awaiting our arrival. One look at our expressions and the smile on his face faltered.

JC stopped as Alec turned the corner and headed down the hallway, but I pursued him. There was great unrest within me; I had to know what was going on. My mind was screaming at me to leave this problem for Magnus and JC and grovel back to the lifestyle of me, myself and I, but my heart...I'd suffered pain before. Looking at Alec now was like looking in a mirror. Suffering alone was a burden, and, for some reason I had not yet fathomed, I wanted to help him carry it.

"Alec-"

He abruptly turned into a room on the left and slammed the door behind him. I heard a faint click as he locked the doorknob. I raised my fist to knock but hesitated, staring at the smear of blood left behind on the door.

_He doesn't need you. He needs someone else._

Why did the thought send a pang of hurt through my chest? With a sigh, I bent down and placed Alec's lighter at the foot of the door and headed back down the hallway to fetch Magnus.


	3. Chapter 3 (Dark Inside)

**Hey readers! :) So I managed to sneak in some time and write chapter 3! Chapter 4 will be a couple days because I have exams coming up. My apologies! Anyway, thanks for reading and following! I'd love love love more reviews! :) I hope you enjoy it! Happy reading!**

Magnus had not yet returned from Alec's room. The apartment had become a graveyard; no movement, no noise, no energy. JC was seated on one of the counters, polishing his seraph blade with a towel. I was leaning against the back of the couch with my arms crossed, as if that could fend off the awkward silence between us. My eyes were glued to the end of the hall, waiting for the warlock to reappear. With any luck, Alec would be in tow behind him.

"You can leave, you know."

I glanced over at JC, who hadn't lifted his eyes from his work. "Excuse me?"

"Your services will no longer be required. Go home, Jace."

I bristled. "I'm not leaving until I know Alec is okay."

"He's not yours to check up on."

"I'm not leaving," I said firmly.

JC paused and his dark eyes slowly drifted up to my face, blazing. "What did you say?"

I straightened and dropped my hands down to my sides, clenching them into fists. "I said no."

JC hopped down from the counter and set his weapon aside. He crossed the floor in four long strides and pushed himself into my personal space. Using his slightly taller height to his advantage, he glowered down at me and held his face mere inches away from mine. Though his close proximity made me slightly uncomfortable, he did not evoke any intimidation.

"Get out of my house," he hissed.

"It's not your house to kick me out of," I pointed out, my tone icy. "I'll leave when Alec or Magnus tells me to."

"Why are you so desperate to stay?" JC queried, disgusted.

"Why are you so desperate to make me leave?" I shot back.

JC snatched a fistful of my shirt and yanked me even closer towards him. "I will not ask you again-"

"Gentlemen."

JC twisted his head around but did not loosen his grip. Magnus was standing nearby, his cat eyes narrowed behind his glasses. One hand was tucked casually inside his jacket pocket, the other was down at his side, palm facing us and blue sparks flashing against his skin.

"Is there a problem?"

"No," JC answered, annoyed by Magnus's interruption.

He released me and smoothed out my shirt, thumping me harder than necessary on the chest when he was finished. When his back was turned, it was all I could do not to throw my fist into his kidney. I bit my tongue and inhaled deeply through my nose, suffocating my anger with a breath of composure.

"How's Alec?" I asked.

"Nothing a little sleep won't fix. You," he pointed at JC, "you're coming with me."

"Where are we going? Detention?"

Magnus cocked his head, considering it. "In a way, I suppose. We're going to finish off those vampire carcasses you left behind. A little labor should teach you not to manhandle our guests."

"Fine," JC growled. "Get rid of him and we'll go."

"Actually," Magnus's gaze shifted back to me, "I'd like you to stay here. Keep a close eye on Alec, would you?"

"Unbelievable," JC spat under his breath. "Alec brings home a stray and now you want to adopt him."

"Do you have a problem with that, Jonathan Christopher?" Magnus challenged.

"I have a problem with you leaving this mutt here alone with my vulnerable friend."

"Jace," Magnus said, eyes still locked on JC, "do you promise not to kill Alec while we're gone?"

"Yes," I said honestly.

"And do you promise not to poop on the floor like a good little doggy?"

"Unbelievable," JC said again, throwing his arms into the air and stalking towards the elevator.

Magnus gave me a wink before following JC out. I waited for the soft thud of the doors sliding shut and slumped back against the couch. I sighed and rubbed a hand over my face, drowsiness suddenly tugging at my eyelids. All I had to do was tuck in my legs, swivel around, plop down onto the soft leather and allow myself to drift off to sleep. It was a tempting thought, but I did not want to give JC any more reasons not to trust me.

Down the hall, a door softly clicked shut. As if someone had flipped a switch inside me, my senses began instantly alert and my fatigue vanished. I leaned forward far enough to peer around the corner and down the hall.

Alec was walking towards me, and when he glanced up and saw me peeking at him, he neither slowed his pace or spoke a word. He continued on as if I didn't exist, turning in the direction of the elevator. Curious, I got up and followed him. He was already inside the elevator by the time I made it halfway across the wooden bridge. Taking me by surprise, Alec held out his arm, preventing the doors from sliding shut. He waited for me patiently, eyes cast downward. I stepped inside and bit my lip, not daring to utter a word and shatter the silence. Alec pushed the button for the roof.

When the doors slid open, the cool early morning air licked at my skin, coaxing the emergence of goose bumps. Faint whispers of city life drifted from below. It was peaceful. Even with Alec's enigmatic behavior, I felt at ease under the light of the setting moon.

Alec stood at the center of the roof and reached into his pocket. I masked my shock when he pulled out a cigarette. He plucked his lighter from his other pocket.

"Thank you for bringing this back," he said, still refusing to meet my eyes.

"You're welcome."

"Do me a favor." He popped the cigarette between his lips. "Don't tell Magnus."

I grinned. "Tell Magnus about what?"

Alec finally looked up and smiled crookedly, his eyes a magnificent silver-blue under the moon's radiance. "I was supposed to quit. He said he was getting tired of healing my charred lungs."

"Wouldn't want your lungs to match your outfit." I looked pointedly at his black leather jacket. "Your face looks better."

Alec lit the cigarette and took a deep drag. "Are you saying I'm handsome, Jace?"

"I said it's an improvement." I tapped my chin. "Still not quite as pretty as mine."

A puff of smoke escaped when he laughed. He took another drag and looked up into the sky. City lights, New York's stars, sparkled in his eyes.

"I suppose you're wondering what my little tantrum was all about."

I shrugged. "You don't have to tell me."

Alec reached under the collar of his jacket and pulled out the golden chain now clasped around his neck. A small golden heart dangled from his fingertips. Alec let the locket fall against his chest.

"This was my sister's."

I shook my head, confused. "Why did a vampire have it?"

Alec took a long drag and exhaled completely before answering. "It was a vampire that murdered her."

"Alec..." I trailed off, at a loss for words.

"She was completely drained of blood when I found her." Alec flicked the cigarette butt at the ground and smothered it with his boot. "The same as my parents."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't change anything. They're still dead." Alec picked up the locket again and gazed down at it, his lips curving into a small smile. "I gave this to her years ago. She never took it off once."

I reached my hand out to rest it on Alec's shoulder but he stepped back, shaking his head. When he looked away, I caught the glimmer of tears pooling in the bottoms of his eyes.

"You want to know the worst part, Jace? I swore that I would avenge my family, and I did. I slaughtered every last vampire that was in the clan that destroyed my life. But when it was over, I truly started to feel alone. Everything was gone; there was nothing to live for." Alec spread his arms. "So I found myself on a rooftop, much like this one. The only different was that, instead of standing here, I was poised on the ledge. One step and I could have ended it all. I wanted to die so badly. That's the worst part. I fought so hard to keep Izzy's memory alive, to take the lives of those that deserved to burn in hell, but in the end, all I wanted to do was kill myself. I was selfish. Weak. She'd be so ashamed of me, Jace..."

"But you're still here, Alec." My voice was hushed.

Alec snorted. "Only because of JC."

"No," I said, swatting away the hundreds of questions now buzzing in my head. "Everyone has a choice, Alec. _You_ chose to live. Not JC."

"He had to _convince_ me, Jace!" Alec shouted. "If anyone knew how easily life could be snatched away, it was me. But instead of trying to make the best of mine, I wanted to throw my life off the top of a roof. How is that not pathetic?"

"It's not pathetic," I said. "It's the price you pay for having a heart and a soul. Your family could never be ashamed of you, Alec. The love for you that lived in them now survives in Magnus and JC."

A tear escaped Alec's eye and rolled down the cheek that had been covered in blood hours earlier. "I don't deserve their love."

I grabbed Alec's shoulder and squeezed, staring straight into his eyes. "Yes, you do."

Alec held my gaze for a moment before his eyes slowly drifted down to my lips. He took a step closer, my hand still resting on his shoulder. His warm breath tickled my face as he leaned in. My heart slammed against my ribcage, every muscle frozen and tensed, as if waiting for a jolt of electricity.

"Alec..." I breathed shakily, before his lips could brush mine.

My hand fell away as he pulled back slightly, blinking furiously as if waking up from a dream. I braced myself for his onslaught of reactions: anger, rejection, remorse, despondency. His face, however, remained impassive. He took another step back, distancing himself from me. Though I could not see any pain in his face, I felt as guilty as if I'd reached out and slapped him.

Alec cleared his throat and looked at me steadily.

"I think," he said quietly, "you should go home."


	4. Chapter 4 (Alone)

**Hey, everyone! First, I'd like to apologize for taking so long to add a new chapter. I have finished my other story "Forever Parabatai", so now I can switch my focus completely to "Prey." Hopefully I won't make y'all wait as long for updates. Anyway, so unfortunately there is not much action in this chapter. Things should start picking up again soon! Also, this chapter is quite long, so I also apologize for that. As always, thank you for reading and following! Reviews are always welcome! :) Happy reading!**

I ducked my head down against the assault of the rain. Though my hood had been drawn, the wind had forced the rain in all directions. It had started as tiny droplets of chilly water kissing my face, but by the time I had walked halfway to Magnus's apartment, my hair, face and throat were drenched. Then again, all of me was soaked, but all I could really feel was the icy tickle of sneaky droplets of rain slithering down the back of my neck. The sensation left me unnerved. Of course, the rain wasn't the only reason for my feelings of unease.

I hadn't seen or heard from Alec in days. I hadn't heard from anyone, for that matter. Not Magnus. Not JC. It was as if the second Alec sent me away, my connection will all of them had been severed. A rope that had been thrown to me had been suddenly cut, and now I was frantically trying to regain a grip on the rope of my old life. But my hold on my old life was slipping. I found myself constantly thinking about the others. When I tried to distract myself by going on a hunt, I found myself glancing over my shoulder more frequently than usual. The feeling of vulnerability and exposure was incessant. More than that, the realization that I was alone, a thought that I had once paid no heed to, bothered me. I felt...incomplete.

The downpour of rain ceased as I stepped under the canopy of Magnus's apartment building. I breathed a sigh of relief and pulled my hood back, shaking my head and sending droplets of water flying from my sopping hair. I continued forward and reached my hand out for the door, but a voice stopped me.

"Didn't expect to see you back here."

I turned and found JC standing at the curb, rain dripping from his silver hair. He seemed at ease standing with a slight slouch and with his hands in his pockets, but his narrowed eyes said otherwise. My showing up had obviously irritated him. I bristled defensively. I hadn't even looked at him. If he hadn't said anything I never would have noticed him standing there. What had I done to agitate him?

"What are you doing out here?" I queried.

JC stuck up his nose as if he did not intend to answer me, but finally he replied, "Magnus and Alec were getting...rambunctious, so I decided to give them some privacy."

"Oh."

I took a step back from the door, disappointed. What was I supposed to do now? Go home? Wait outside? Going inside was out of the question. Interrupting _that_ would not get me into their good graces.

"Seriously, Jace, why did you come back?" JC questioned icily.

I stumbled over my words as it dawned on me that I did not even know the answer to that question. "I-I don't know."

JC rolled his eyes. "Oh my God. So what? You have one little bonding moment with Alec and now you're obsessed with him?"

"No!"

The rising of my voice brought a smirk to JC's face. "I see."

His tone told me that he did not believe me.

"It's not like that," I said firmly. "I'm done with working solo. I need someone to have my back. And I think we can find the bastard that's smoking Shadowhunters if we put our heads together."

That obliterated JC's grin.

"Alec is _my_ partner, Jace. There's no room for you. You'll only make us weaker. You'll throw us off balance. Alec can't have my back if he's busy saving your ass."

My eyes narrowed. "You want Alec all to yourself. Now who's obsessed with him?"

"Alec has been claimed by Magnus," JC went on, unfazed, "but he's still my partner. You have nothing. You have no one."

His words sliced through me, but JC did not seem pleased by his evoking my pain. His expression was difficult to read. At first I thought I saw pity, but the coldness in his dark eyes betrayed the existence of something else...Revulsion?

"This decision isn't yours to make. My proposition is for Alec."

JC rolled his eyes again and sighed heavily, "Oh, go home, Jace. You don't belong here. We're not your family. We're not your friends. Besides, no one wants you here. Don't you think if Alec wanted to see you he would have contacted you by now?"

I opened my mouth to protest, but faltered when I found myself finding truth in JC's words. I did not have Alec's phone number and he did not have mine, but locating me would not have been a challenge for him. He was a skilled hunter, cunning and street-savvy. My whereabouts would have been easily obtained; yet, he had not tried to seek me out. He did not want to see me.

"How were you planning on getting inside anyway?" JC asked lightly, as if we were talking about the weather. "You don't even have a key card."

"Just forget about it," I muttered. "Forget I was ever here today."

JC inclined his head smugly. "With pleasure."

Not bothering to draw up my hood I stepped back out into the rain. I was too numb to feel the icy rain chilling me to the bone. My shoulders drooped as I retraced my steps back to my own apartment, no intention of ever trying to find Alec again.

* * *

It did not take long for me to break the promise I had made to myself. I had forbidden myself from even thinking about Alec, Magnus or JC, but as I focussed on identifying the unknown Shadowhunter slayer I found myself trying on Alec's shoes. I thought back to seeing him with the demon in the alley, the way they had greeted each other in the cafe. They had not been strangers to each other, that was for certain. Alec and the demon had been familiar with each other.

_What were you doing making an acquaintance with a demon, Alec? _I thought.

I wondered how that was even possible. Demons and Shadowhunters hated each other. My first thought was that the demon was supplying Alec with information about the Shadowhunter slayer. My second thought was that if that was true, there was absolutely no chance of the demon supplying said information free of charge. I shuddered to think of what Alec was using as a form of payment.

The strategy was reckless. Alec had been risking his life to obtain information that was most likely falsified. Still, the unveiling of this lethal enemy was nothing if not a giant dead end. There truly was no other choice.

Thus, I found myself loitering outside the cafe, hands shoved in my coat pockets and my eyes scrutinizing the cafe's door. I had been tracking the demon for quite some time before I met Alec. I knew the routes he took around the city, his favorite locations for unwinding, the other demons he associated himself with. One of those acquaintances was also a frequent visitor of the cafe. It had taken some time, but I had finally tracked him down and followed him to the last place his friend had been seen alive.

A light breeze ruffled my hair. Though the air was chilly it had stopped raining, I could wait outside for the demon for as long as it took. I needed to know anything and everything he knew about the Nephilim murders.

My sharp senses came to full alert as a chestnut-haired boy stepped from the cafe, a steaming Styrofoam cup in his hand. He stopped abruptly and his gaze flicked over to me. His lips tugged into a frown and he turned, heading in the opposite direction. I hurried to catch up, smirking in satisfaction when the demon noticeably shied away from me.

"Can I help you?" he growled, eyes trained directly in front of him.

"If you value your life you'll help me."

The demon's eyes drifted over to me and I subtly pulled at the collar of my jacket, tugging it down far enough for him to catch a glimpse of the rune peeking out from under my shirt. The demon's lips curled with disgust.

"Nephilim," he hissed. "I knew it."

We gathered behind a crowd of people waiting at the cross walk. I inched closer to the demon, trying to make him as uncomfortable as possible. He was smaller in stature; I could use intimidation to get him to submit.

"You used to have a blonde friend, no?"

The demon raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to need more than that."

I lowered my voice. "Blonde hair, ill color, cluster of eyes in the middle of his face, lots of teeth...he had a tendency to bite."

"Oh yeah. I know who you're talking about." The demon's eyes narrowed. "Haven't seen him around lately..."

"Come with me and I'll explain why."

"Do you think I'm that stupid, Nephilim?" he snarled. "As soon as we're secluded you'll kill me."

"I won't," I said firmly. "You have something I need."

"Get lost, little Shadowhunter. All I can offer you is the advice to walk away now before something happens to that pretty little face of yours."

"Walk away now and I _will_ kill you," I promised. "Come with me and I will not lay a finger on you."

The demon sighed heavily. "I do not trust the words of a Shadowhunter, but I really don't have much choice, do I?"

We walked in silence. When we came to the familiar alleyway I gruffly instructed the demon to follow me. He reluctantly fell into step beside me as we wandered farther down the alley. When we rounded the corner, hidden from the eyes of any passersby, we came to a halt and faced each other. The demon looked down at the cup in his hand, no longer steaming, and upended it, spilling the contents on the ground before he chucked the empty cup aside. When he looked back up at me his expression was both suspicious and bored.

"Nice glamour," I commented, noticing his one blue eye and his one brown eye.

"Don't toy with me, angel boy. Why did you bring me here?"

I shrugged and said nonchalantly, "This is where your friend was killed."

The demon bristled, his mismatched eyes blazing. "I guessed as much."

"I didn't say _I_ did it."

"What's the difference? All Shadowhunters are the same. Cold-blooded murderers. Each and every one of you deserve what's coming to you."

I stiffened, fighting to keep my emotions under control. "Did you ever see your friend hanging out with a Shadowhunter?"

The demon cocked an eyebrow. "You talking about the dark-haired, blue-eyed gothic kid that that warlock is nailing?"

I gritted my teeth at the snide remark. "Yeah, that's him."

The demon nodded. "Yes, I've met Alec. The two had a business arrangement."

"What kind of business arrangement?"

The demon smirked. "That scandal is not for your ears. I wouldn't want to taint the pure image of your Shadowhunter friend."

_Demons lie_, I told myself. _Don't believe a thing he is saying about Alec. Alec would never do something as derogatory as this demon is suggesting. He's smarter than that. He has more self respect-_

My thoughts scattered as I reminisced the things Alec had told me up on the roof all those nights ago. Alec hated himself. Suicide had been a recurring thought in his head. I did not know how far Alec would actually go. What was he willing to do, to sacrifice, in order to gain information about something killing off our kind one by one?

"I want to make you a proposal," I said finally.

"Is that so?"

"I want to know everything your friend told Alec that you know of. I also want you to tell me everything you know about the recent Shadowhunter murders."

"I don't know anything," he huffed.

"Really? That's too bad." I reached behind me and pulled out a dagger sheathed at my back hidden under my jacket. "I guess there's really no reason to keep you alive, is there?"

The demon squirmed. "Wait. I've got a couple things to spill, but what will you give me in return?"

"I'll let you live, and since I'll be checking in with you from time to time, I'll keep you alive."

"And then what? As soon as you no longer need me you'll dispose of me?" he sneered. "And what's stopping your friends from killing me?"

"You're smart," I countered. "I'm sure you can avoid them easily. In the mean time, I'll do what I can to keep them off your trail."

The demon crossed his arms and inclined his head. "Your offer is not good enough."

"Huh?" I blurted, taken aback. "What else do you want?"

The demon's lips curved into a malevolent smile. "I have acquired a taste for Shadowhunter blood. In exchange for the information I possess, I get to drink your blood."

"I see what you and your friend had in common. You both liked to bite. Did he like to drink blood too, or is that your own fantasy?"

"I have made my offer, Nephilim. Take it or leave it. Don't bother with a counter-offer. Go ahead and kill me, if that's what you choose. Just know that I'm taking everything I know with me."

I considered the options in my head, not that there were very many to go on. If I killed him I was back to square one, and square one meant me moping around my apartment alone with nothing to think about but Alec, and if he and the others were making any headway on the case. I was too desperate to refuse.

"Fine," I spat out. "Cough it up and I'll let you have a taste."

The demon held up his hand. "Not so fast. I get my end of the bargain first, then I'll tell you what I know."

I clenched my hand tighter around the dagger and sized the demon up. Though his physique was smaller than mine, I had noticed a definite change in his behavior since we had separated from the crowd of people. He had become more confident in himself and noticeably less nervous around me than he had been before. Had that been a ruse? My instincts told me he was stronger than I had anticipated.

"You think I'm an idiot? I'm insulted. Forget about our deal. I'm just going to kill you now and save myself the trouble."

The demon chuckled. "You can try. Give it your best shot, Shadowhunter."

As I raised the dagger the demon's skin began to ripple, a scale-like pattern, silver in color, beginning to form. Thick black claws sprouted from his fingertips, each one sharpened to a fine edge. He did not even flinch as I brought the weapon down. A gasp tore from my lips as the blade bounced off his skin, ineffective. His scales were impenetrable. I slashed at him again, switching my aim from his throat down to his chest, but it was like trying to stab the surface of a diamond. His entire body was protected.

The demon roughly seized me by the throat and shoved me back against a wall. I swung the dagger at his face and he snatched my wrist in his free hand, twisting until I cried out and the weapon clanged against the ground. He slid his hand up my arm until his razor-sharp nails were digging into my bicep. Ever so slowly he began to drag his nails downward, carving five deep paths down to my elbow. I hissed in pain and kicked at his shins, but my blows were about effective as the dagger. He continued on, unflinching. A steady gush of blood ran down my forearm and dripped from my fingertips.

"What's wrong, little Nephilim?" he sneered. "For all that tough talk about killing me, you sure aren't putting up much of a fight."

His grip tightened around my neck and I automatically began clawing at his hand, trying to pry his fingers away as I struggled to breathe. He tilted my head to the side, exposing my throat. He fixed his dual colored eyes on my face as he reached up and ripped three gashes in the side of my neck. I immediately felt the hot blood pouring out of the wounds.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the demon said suddenly. "I forgot to make you numb first. Silly me. Those wounds must hurt something fierce."

I kept my teeth gritted against the pain. My stomach roiled and dizziness clouded my vision. Before I could register what he was doing, the demon craned his neck towards me and clamped his teeth down into a section of untouched flesh. There was a brief stinging sensation before a cold numbing sensation began to creep through me. My legs wobbled beneath me and I found myself sagging against the wall to stay upright. The demon's grip loosened around my throat, but he kept his hand there to hold me up. He grinned as I swayed unsteadily.

"That's better, isn't it? Just relax. It'll be like falling asleep. You'll lose consciousness before you completely bleed out."

"No," I whispered, pushing at him feebly.

The demon leaned forward, but before he put his mouth over my throat, a hand clamped over his forehead from behind and yanked backwards. He snarled as his head bent away from me, but before he could turn to face his attacker a seraph blade was plunged to the hilt into his blue eye. The demon's hands immediately fell away from me before he burst into a cloud of ashes.

I slid to the ground and blinked, the wave of sudden fatigue almost too great for me to fight off. Someone knelt next to me but I could not recognize them through half-lidded and blurred eyes. Something cold pressed against my neck and the exhaustion began to recede. I turned my head and found JC crouched next to me, stele in his hand. The frown on his face deepened as he assessed my condition.

"What are _you_ doing here?" I grumbled.

JC scowled. "I think the words you're looking for are: thank you."

"I didn't ask for your help."

JC narrowed his eyes and as he reached for my injured arm I cringed away from him, swatting his hand away.

"Jace," JC sighed. "Don't be an idiot. Let me heal your arm."

"I don't need your help," I hissed, awkwardly pushing myself to my feet.

"What is your problem?" JC got up and blocked my path. "Damn your pride, Jace-"

I roughly shoved my way past him. "Go home, JC. I can take care of myself."

JC did not protest or try to follow me, but he called out, "Don't let your stubbornness kill you. The iratze on your neck will burn away the venom and the numbness will wear off. If you can't put an iratze on your arm, go to a damn hospital before you bleed out."

I stumbled back out onto the sidewalk and began weaving my way through the crowd, cradling my arm against my chest and shielding it from the eyes of the mundanes to the best of my abilities. I had no intention of going to the hospital. I was determined to get home and fix the problem on my own.

_I don't need your help, JC. Not yours or Magnus's or Alec's. I don't need _anyone's_ help. I can take care of myself. I never stopped being alone._

* * *

"Damn it!"

The bandaging around my arm had come loose again, and the white material was already soaked through with blood. I unwound the lengthy strand, deposited the soiled bandaging in the sink and cut a fresh length.

JC had been right; the numbing venom had worn off long before I had reached my apartment. Sweat had plastered my hair to my forehead and my right hand trembled uncontrollably by the time I stumbled through the door. I immediately tried to draw an iratze, but the usage of my left hand made it impossible. If only the wound had been on the other side, then I could have used my dominant hand...

JC had also been correct about something else: I was far too stubborn and proud. Even after my fourth attempt of wrapping up my wound, I still refused to go to the hospital. Not because my injury would bring about a swarm of unwanted questions in the emergency room, but because the thought of giving JC any satisfaction from me being unable to take care of myself made my stomach roil. I was bent on proving him wrong.

I flinched as I pulled the bandage taut and began clumsily wrapping it around my bicep. The gauze I placed over the cuts was already showing splotches of red. I quickened my pace, hissing under my breath as the tightness sent sharp stabs of agony shooting up and down my arm.

A loud knock reverberated throughout the small apartment. I cursed under my breath. Whether it was from the blood loss making my mind clouded or my own over-confidence in my healing abilities, I had decided, at one point after I got home, to order pizza. In the short amount of time that had passed I had forgotten all about the idiotic decision. Obviously, my concern with my predicament had not been as substantial as it was now. Though my stomach growled on cue with the knock I felt no urge to eat. I wanted my wound taken care of.

I hurriedly pulled on my long sleeved t-shirt as another knock pounded impatiently against the door, groaning as my arm screamed in protest. After composing myself and straightening my appearance in front of the mirror quickly I left the bathroom and made my way to the door, my arms lifted slightly for balance as a rush of dizziness made the apartment tilt and spin. I unlocked the deadbolt and, my hand clamped around the doorknob, took a deep breath before pulling open the door.

My stomach lurched and my jaw dropped as I registered the form standing in front of me.

"Alec?"


	5. Chapter 5 (Surface Wounds)

**Hey, y'all! Sorry for the wait again! I'm trying my hardest to write a chapter every week, so hopefully I won't let you down. Anyway, there isn't really much to this chapter. Just Alec taking care of Jace *swoon*. With any luck by the next chapter I shall get the ball rolling again and get back to killing stuff! ;) Thanks for reading and following, you guys! Please review it up! :) Enjoy!**

A smile tugged at the corner of Alec's lips and he lifted his arm, a flat white box balanced on his fingertips. "Special delivery."

I blinked, my jaw hanging wide open. "W-what are you doing here?"

Alec cocked his pierced eyebrow. "You going to invite me in?"

My fingers tightened their grip on the door, but, thankfully, Alec did not notice. The world was spinning again. I could feel the tears in my upper arm throb and pulse. I bit the inside of my cheek, hoping the pain would sharpen my vision. Though I wanted desperately to refuse and send Alec away, I knew he would not leave without questioning me. Perhaps I could convince him to go after I invited him in for a quick chat. But my wound was gnawing at me. I would have to keep focused and think quickly. The last thing I wanted was Alec fussing over me.

I stepped aside and made an invitational gesture with a sweep of my arm, clamping my teeth down on my tongue when the movement sent a wave of fire shooting through my arm. Alec stepped inside, his strides confident as his eyes darted around the small apartment. He placed the pizza box on the small, circular dining table and continued moseying about.

"It's not exactly penthouse standards," I said quietly.

He glanced at me over his shoulder. "I think it's great."

"Don't patronize me," I grumbled. "Or pity me."

Alec turned, his face serious. "I wasn't. Really, Jace. This place is warm, dry, quiet. Better than what I had at one point in my life."

That caught me off guard. My mouth opened as closed as I fumbled for something to say. Alec cleared his throat and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"So what have you been up to?" he asked awkwardly.

_Great. Small talk._ I shook my head. There was no time for this. I did not know what Alec wanted from me, but I could not coddle him. At the moment the best I could be towards him was curt. My arm, from my elbow up to my shoulder, felt hot and wet. The bandages were not staunching the flow of blood. I was grateful for having pulled on a black long sleeve t-shirt. If the fabric was growing damp with blood, Alec gave no indication that he could see it.

"What are you doing here, Alec?"

Alec's blue eyes flitted across the room, avoiding contact with mine. "I just...I hadn't heard from you in a while and I wanted to check in."

"I'm an adult, for God's sake." My voice came out as a harsh hiss, and I continued in a softer tone. "You don't need to check up on me."

"I know. Jace, when I told you to leave the other night, I didn't mean you had to _stay_ gone. But I was wondering if maybe my...actions...had scared you away...for good."

_Your actions? Scare me away? You think I'm a homophobe, Alec?_

I hung my head to hide my expression as I suffered through another onslaught of pain. The fingers of my left hand clenched tightly around my denim pant leg. I couldn't let Alec stay any longer. It took all my strength just to stay vertical.

"Can we not talk about this now?"

"Jace-"

"You kind of caught me at a bad time, Alec," I said hurriedly. "I need you to leave. Now."

Alec's mouth pressed into a thin line. He looked ruffled and slightly offended, but he gave a slight nod and said, "All right."

I let out a quiet sigh of relief, but I quickly became flustered again when Alec made no move towards the door. He was staring at me, his head cocked to the side. I locked gazes with him nervously.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "You're looking a bit pale."

"I'm fine," I answered hastily. "Can you just go, please?"

Alec held up his hands in mock surrender. "Fine. I'm going."

As he passed by me Alec turned.

"Take care of yourself, Jace."

I caught sight of the movement of his arm too late. His hand swung around to clap me on the shoulder. Before I could maneuver out of the way to avoid his touch, Alec's palm came into contact with my wounded arm. The touch, though light, was firm, but it felt like I'd taken a blow from a bat embedded with nails.

I let out a sharp gasp and stumbled slightly as my knees wobbled beneath me.

"What the hell?"

Alec was looking down at his palm. His gaze flicked over to me and when he noticed I was hunched over he reached out his hand, asking if I was all right. I stared at the light smear of blood against his skin. The gauze and bandages had been soaked through. I groaned and swayed on my feet. Alec let out a curse and lurched forward just in time to catch me in his arms before I hit the floor. He half-carried, half-dragged me into the living room and carefully lowered me to the ground, propping me up against the sofa.

"What happened, Jace?" he demanded.

"Nothing," I mumbled stubbornly. "It's just a scratch."

"Just a scratch, my ass. Your shirt is soaked!"

"It's not that bad. I just bleed a lot."

Alec glared at me, his jaw set.

"Take your shirt off," he commanded.

When I sat there gaping at him, Alec rolled his eyes.

"I'm not going to jump your bones. Take your shirt off so I can see how bad it is."

"I can't." Noting the rising intensity of Alec's glower, I clarified, "If I lift my arm I'm going to pass out."

Alec cursed again. Without pursuing an argument he reached down and pulled out a knife concealed in his boot. He placed the blade against the hem of my shirt but hesitated before slicing the material.

"Sorry. I hope this shirt isn't a favorite of yours."

"No problem. I despise any piece of material that covers my glorious body. It's cruel, really, to keep this body hidden under clothes."

"Shut up," Alec grumbled, though not without a grin.

He made a small slit as the base of my shirt. Setting the knife aside, he grasped a flap of material in each hand and gave a sharp yank, ripping the shirt open up to my chest. He made quick work of tearing open the fabric from my chest up to the collar. I shrugged my left shoulder and slid my arm free of the sleeve. Alec carefully peeled the material down my right shoulder, muttering an apology as I hissed in pain. I lifted my hand from the floor and he pulled the scrap of fabric from my wrist.

"Still say it's just a scratch?" Alec growled as he beheld the now dark red bandages encasing my entire upper arm. "Did you lose your stele or something?"

"Try as I might, I was unable to suddenly become left handed."

"Why didn't you come find me? Or go to the hospital?"

"I was handling it, but then you showed up and interrupted me."

"You call this-" Alec motioned to my bloodied arm, "-handling it?"

"Don't yell at me. I'm injured." I smirked weakly. "You really need to work on your bedside manner."

"You can take your bedside manner and shove it." Alec's eyes met mine. "Please."

"That's more like it."

His face grew serious again as he looked at the bandages.

"I'm going to have to take these off."

"Fine. Just be quick about it."

With a nod Alec gingerly tugged at the bandage up at my shoulder. Finally he found the end and tugged it free. Very carefully he began to unwind the strand from my arm. I let my head fall back against the sofa, turning away to hide my flinching from Alec. When he reached halfway down my bicep, I inadvertently lifted my right hand and clutched Alec's knee, tightening my grip as the sting increased in intensity.

"Almost there," he assured me, his voice soft.

I kept my mouth clamped shut and breathed through my nose, forbidding myself to let a single cry escape. It was bad enough that Alec was tending to my wounds. The last thing I needed was to come across as weak. The gashes hurt like hell, but I did not want to show that more than I had to.

Fresh blood coiled down my forearm as Alec unwrapped the end of the bandage at my elbow. He gently took my elbow in his hand and turned my arm as he inspected the five deep slashes, cursing aloud.

I pressed my left hand firmly against the ground, suddenly very lightheaded.

"Alec, I'm really dizzy."

"Okay. Let's lay you down."

Alec slipped his arm around my waist and pressed his hand against the small of my back, scooting me towards him and away from the sofa. I turned my body and used my left hand for balance as I lowered myself to the floor. Alec moved his hand higher up my back to help me, only removing it when I was completely horizontal.

Without a word he reached into his pocket and removed his stele. With surprising tenderness he began to draw an iratze against my skin. The rune scalded me at first, white hot and unrelenting, but finally the pain began to ebb. The dizziness and nausea also began to fade. I let out a soft sigh as the flesh in my upper arm began to knit itself back together. Alec added another iratze for good measure and sat back on his heels, watching the healing process intently. When all the wounds were closed he slid his stele back into his pocket and wiped his hands on his pants.

"How does that feel?"

"Better," I whispered, relishing the warm numbness.

"So I have a question for you."

"Hmm?"

I suddenly found myself struggling to keep my eyelids open. My entire body felt exhausted. It was all I could do to not fall asleep right then and there. I closed my eyes, unbothered by the discomfort of the hardwood floor beneath me.

"You were bleeding to death," Alec said slowly, "and you felt the need to order pizza?"

"The heart wants what it wants," I muttered sleepily.

"No, no. Give me the real answer," he pressed. "I'm truly curious."

"I dunno. The blood loss made me kind of loopy. I guess I figured the injury wasn't as bad as it actually was. If it would have just stopped gushing blood I would have been fine. My shirt wouldn't be ripped to shreds and I'd be sitting on the sofa eating pizza and watching TV."

Alec shook his head. "You're such an idiot, Jace. You could have bled to death and the delivery kid would never have gotten a tip."

I opened my eyes and looked dreamily up at him. "Luckily my guardian angel showed up."

Alec rolled his eyes and teasingly turned my face away with a light shove. "Shut it, pretty boy. By the way, you owe me twenty bucks for the pizza."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll grab my wallet in a sec. Just...let me rest my eyes for a minute."

Fatigue tugged at my consciousness. Gradually I felt myself being lulled into sleep. Before the world completely disappeared around me, I felt two arms slide under me, one under my knees and the other under my shoulder blades. Alec carried me easily as he wandered through the apartment in search of my bedroom. As soon as my back pressed against the softness of the mattress on my bed, I was enveloped in a deep slumber.


	6. Chapter 6 (Scars Unveiled)

**Hey, everyone! So here's the latest chapter! I need to write more often. I think I'm getting a little rusty. Anyway, I decided to add a twist to Alec's life. I'm not sure how in depth I'll go with it, but I hope it doesn't bother anyone. I really think it adds to his character. I apologize for the waiting periods in between chapters. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! As always, thanks for reading and following! Please review it up! :) Happy reading!**

I stirred at the sound of a raised voice and blinked, confused. I was laying in my bed under a mound of blankets, naked from the waist up. As the fog dissipated from my mind I became aware of the ache in my entire right arm. Clarity surged through me as I glanced down at the faint scars covering my right bicep. I gingerly pressed my fingertips against my marred skin and sucked in a breath at the tenderness. With a groan, I sat up and tossed the blankets aside as I crawled out of bed. I opened my bedroom door and quietly made my way down the short hallway to the living room, where Alec was seated on the sofa.

One hand was entangled in his hair while the other held his cell phone to his ear. I could not see his face, but the tension visible in his shoulders was enough to convey his agitation.

"The point is," Alec hissed into the phone, "you didn't say anything. You should have told me he was hurt, JC. He could have bled to death - What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Alec paused, listening to the other end of the conversation. "He's my friend. I don't want him to die anytime soon. I don't think you can say the same thing."

I took a step back towards my room, not wanting to intrude on the private conversation. As much as it piqued my interest to hear JC have his ass handed to him, it wasn't right to eavesdrop on Alec's conversation. I flinched as the floorboard beneath my foot gave a hushed creak.

Alec turned calmly and met my gaze as if he had been aware of my presence the entire time. He lifted his finger to signal he'd be a moment longer and turned away again.

"That's bull and you know it. I have to go. Don't think this conversation is over."

I plopped down on the sofa beside Alec as he disconnected the call and rubbed his temples with his fingers. I glanced around the room awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Was I supposed to apologize for the trouble I had caused? Was I supposed to thank him first? Was I supposed to ask if Alec was okay? Was I supposed to ask about the situation with JC?

"Jace."

My gaze moved to Alec as he bumped my knee with the back of his hand.

"I asked how you were feeling."

"Oh, sorry," I murmured, embarrassed that I'd been too preoccupied to hear him. "I'm a little sore, but other than that I feel great."

Alec's eyes narrowed. "You look exhausted to me."

I shrugged my left shoulder. "Lack of sleep is nothing new to me."

"You can go back and get some more sleep," Alec offered. "I'll stick around if you need anything."

"You don't have to stay."

Alec leaned back into the sofa. "If I go home I might kill my roommate."

"Thank God for Bounty. The quicker picker-upper for those little messes you don't want the cops to know about."

Alec's lip twitched, but his face quickly turned serious again. "JC said he found you in the alley and that you refused to let him help you."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah."

"Why?"

I started to tell Alec the same thing I'd told him earlier, that I thought I could handle the wound, that I thought it wasn't as serious as it had been. But I stopped myself. Alec had come to my aid in a bad situation. The least I could do was be honest with him.

"I didn't want JC's help because I was pissed."

"Pissed at...?"

"Pissed at JC." I took a deep breath. "Pissed at you."

"Pissed at me? Really?" Alec propped his elbow up on the arm of the sofa and rested his cheek in his palm, looking more amused than troubled by my confession.

"Yeah. Really," I bit out.

Alec's expression sobered. "You want to tell me why or would you rather just punch me in the face?"

"Look, Alec, don't think of me as desperate or as some sort of stalker. It's just...I have no family left. It's just me. So when you showed up and introduced me to the others and we fought together as a team...I felt like I belonged somewhere. Then you told me to leave the other night and I didn't hear from any of you for days. I thought you guys wanted nothing to do with me. It's like I was starving. You came along, offered me a hot meal, but all you did was eat the meal in front of me. Then you kicked me back onto the street."

Alec straightened. "That was not my intent, Jace."

"Whatever. It's fine."

"It's not. And I am sorry. Just know that I was not trying to cut you out of my life. As I said before, I just wanted to give you some space. I thought my advances had scared you off."

"I don't have a problem with who you are, Alec," I said firmly. "And I like you, but not in _that_ way."

"I'm sure I could change your mind," Alec teased.

"Yeah. Maybe if you were a little shorter and had different..._equipment_."

Alec grinned and nodded. "So what were you doing with that demon, anyway?"

I tensed, the ease brought on by the humor between us fleeing my body. I leaned forward and rested my elbows on my knees, my eyes searching the floor as I racked my brain for a response.

"Did you clean my floor?" I asked. "I don't see any bloodstains anywhere."

"Yeah, I did," Alec said slowly, aware of my evasion. "My boyfriend is a pro with getting stains out. He gave me some tips."

"I should hire you as my maid."

"Jace, what were you doing with the demon?"

I angled my body towards Alec at his commanding tone and growled, "It's not really any of your business, Alec."

"I just saved your ass," Alec said defensively. "I think I have a right to know."

"I just wanted information about the slayings of Shadowhunters."

"Demons aren't generous. They don't do things for free. You and I both know that. What were you offering as payment, Jace?"

My anger flared. "If I tell you, you better tell me about all the things _you_ did with demons, Alec."

Alec's blue eyes widened and he recoiled from me slightly.

"My informant told me you've been getting familiar with Downworlders. I see from your reaction that he was right."

"Shut up, Jace," Alec warned.

"Does Magnus know about your scandalous double life?"

"I said shut up!"

"What's the problem, Alec? You're allowed to work with demons but I'm not?"

Alec lurched to his feet. "I don't want the same thing that happened to me to happen to you!"

I gaped at the Shadowhunter, taken aback by the burst of emotion behind his words. "What are you talking about?"

Alec clenched his hands into fists at his sides. "Those vampires I hunted down and slaughtered for killing my family? I had to ask for their names. Each name came at a price. I gave what I had to. Money, blood, my body..." Alec looked away. "One of my informants took more than what I was willing to give."

My entire body went cold. I kept my mouth shut, half of me not knowing what to say and the other half silently willing Alec to continue. Numbness crept through me and I braced myself for what was to come next.

"I don't remember much of it. The bastard drugged me or something. But I get flashes from time to time. The things he did..." He let out a half-hearted laugh. "Jokes about dropping the soap aren't as funny anymore."

I slowly got to my feet. "Alec, are you saying you were-"

"Don't," Alec cut me off, holding up his hand. "Don't you dare say it."

"Does Magnus know?"

"No. Not yet. I'll tell him when I'm ready." When Alec noticed my expression he shook his head. "Don't feel sorry for me, Jace. I'm dealing with this. I made a mistake. The bastard wanted my blood and instead he took my body. It was my fault for getting into the situation anyway. But you know what? I'm moving on. I hunted the son of a bitch down and I killed him. He's dead. Why bother dwelling on it?"

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm sorry for bringing it up and I'm sorry for what happened to you. You can't say it's your fault, Alec-"

"Jace," he interrupted. "I don't need you to be my therapist. I want you to be the friend you were before I told you this. No hugging it out or any other chick flick stuff, okay?"

I hesitated before giving a reluctant nod. I could see that Alec needed to talk about this with someone, but I couldn't decide when it would be or who it would be with. Only he could. His past was destroying him on the inside, but he was acting like he was still all in one piece. I just hoped he'd open up before he sought an alternative to dealing with his inner demons.

"Jace," Alec said quietly. "You have to promise you won't get tangled up in that crap. No amount of information is worth what can be taken from you."

"I promise. We'll find another way to figure out who's killing Shadowhunters."

"Damn straight. I've got a few ideas-"

A thunderous crash and a sharp demon-like shriek cut off Alec's words. The noises, though loud, were muffled. Alec and I glanced upwards to see a cloud of dust floating towards us. The ceiling trembled as another crash and shriek followed.

"Those guys usually make that much noise?" Alec asked.

"Nope."

I turned and, with Alec in pursuit, bolted to my bedroom, dropping to my knees beside the bed and sliding a long black box out from underneath. I opened the lid and pulled out two seraph blades and a pair of daggers, handing one of each to Alec.

"Little black box under the bed?" Alec grinned, taking the weapons. "Classy."

"Classic place for a boy to hide his toys."

The two of us raced from my apartment and hurried up the staircase to the next floor. The halls were completely empty. Either no one else had heard the racket or no one was bothered enough to care. Alec and I approached the door directly above my place, weapons held at the ready. My arm was throbbing and when I looked down I cursed. In our haste to leave I hadn't been able to throw on a shirt. If this was an misunderstanding and I entered the apartment half naked, there would be consequences. Alec would never let me hear the end of it.

Alec stepped in front of me and reached for the doorknob. It was unlocked. With a light push, the door creaked open. Alec glanced over his shoulder at me before entering the apartment. The soft scuffles of our shoes against the floor seemed to shatter the silence. The air inside was too cold, sending a warning shiver up my spine. Something was definitely wrong.

Alec checked behind the doors of several closed bedrooms while I crept forward into the kitchen. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I located smears of blood on the far wall. One of the drawers was still open and a couple knives were scattered on the floor below. My hand tightened around my seraph blade as I cautiously moved through the room, following the smear of blood. When I stepped around the corner I found a bookshelf laying face down on the floor, books laying here and there. A glass coffee table had been shattered and a couch had been overturned. I avoided stepping on stray shards of glass as I sidestepped the bookshelf and approached the couch. A dark pool of liquid on the floor brought me to a halt. I turned and surveyed the room, my stance prepared for the appearance of an enemy.

Alec entered the room and stood on top of the bookshelf. "All the other rooms are clear."

I looked around, a question poised on my lips, but remained silent when a flutter of cream colored curtains caught my eye. Alec followed my gaze and approached the window, sticking his head out and glancing up and down. He straightened and slammed the window shut.

"Nothing but the fire escape," he growled. "Whatever that thing was, it's long gone."

I nodded and stepped around to the other side of the couch. Alec's boots thudded against the floor as he walked to my side. We found ourselves looking down into the lifeless eyes of a young woman. Her unblemished skin was pale and her lips were blue. Her curled brown hair was fanned out on the floor behind her head. Even after death she was quite beautiful. Anger ignited in the pit of my stomach when I saw the black curve of a rune peeking out from under the collar of her sweater.

"Did you know her?" Alec asked quietly.

I shook my head. "No. I had no idea another Shadowhunter lived in the same building. I've never even seen her before."

Alec couched down and gently tilted the woman's chin upwards, giving us a better view on the deep slash in her throat. He looked around at the floor.

"You see a knife anywhere?"

I checked. "No."

"The killer must have taken it." Alec straightened and sighed. "That's one less of us."

"We have to find this thing and kill it," I hissed.

"And fast," Alec agreed. "This thing never used to leave a mark on its victims. It's becoming more violent."

I shook my head. "Why would it slit this girl's throat? I've seen male victims twice the size of her that didn't have a scratch on them."

"It hates Shadowhunters," Alec said, his voice ominously quiet. "It doesn't just want to kill us anymore. It wants to have a little fun."


	7. Chapter 7 (Keep Your Friends Close)

**Hey, everyone! Sorry for the delay again! This story will probably be a weekly thing, and I apologize for that. If I could write more often I would! Anyway, I hope this doesn't disappoint. Warning, there is a wee bit of coarse language in this chapter. Nothing really new. A couple words here and there. It's not even that bad, really. As always, thanks for reading and following everyone. And thank you thank you thank you to those that left reviews! I really appreciate it! :) I'd love for you guys to leave more so review it up! So without further ado, here's the next chapter of Prey! Happy reading! :)**

Alec disconnected the phone call and stuffed his phone into his pocket, his eyes falling on the Shadowhunter at our feet.

"Is he on his way?" I asked.

As if to answer my question there was a strong gust of wind as Magnus Bane suddenly appeared in the living room. Once again he was dressed in an expensive suit. This one was white with black stitching, and underneath he wore a black shirt with a red tie. His hair was spiked like the first time I saw him, and I could see the eyeliner framing his yellow cat eyes behind his glasses. The warlock stood with his back straight and one hand casually shoved into his pocket. A cocky grin tugged at the corner of his lips. The charisma that rolled off the warlock screamed sex appeal. Even with his casual stance he looked regal. But there was a lethalness about him. He was like a wild animal; beautiful to admire from a distance, dangerous to approach.

Magnus's eyes widened as he surveyed the condition of the apartment and he grimaced when he saw the dead Shadowhunter.

"Please tell me you're all playing an intense game of charades," he said.

"Demon killed her," Alec explained, crossing his arms.

Magnus's bright eyes flicked over to me. "Why are you not wearing a shirt?"

I flushed and stumbled over my words, but before I could make a coherent response Alec butted in.

"He has necrophilia."

"Ew," Magnus said.

My face burned even worse than before.

"I do _not_ have necrophilia!" I shouted.

Alec patted me on the shoulder. "The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem."

I punched him in the arm. "Shut up, asshole!"

"Jace, don't hit my boyfriend," Magnus chided, though not without a smile.

Alec laughed and rubbed his arm. "I'm just messing with you, man. Don't blush so hard. It makes you look guilty."

"The only thing I'll be guilty of is throttling you in your sleep," I muttered.

"So, gentlemen," Magnus said cheerfully, "how can I be of assistance?"

"Can you look at this woman's body and see if you can find anything out of the ordinary?" Alec asked.

The warlock blinked. "I wasn't aware that I should be writing 'experienced coroner' on my resume. I don't understand how you expect me to help you out with this."

Alec wiggled his fingers. "You kind of have an advantage, Mr. Magic Hands."

Magnus grinned devilishly. "My hands _do_ work magic, don't they, Alec, love?"

I clamped my hands over my ears. "Whoa! Too much information!"

Alec and Magnus both laughed. The warlock strode across the room and placed himself between Alec and I, tilting his head as he gazed down at the deceased woman. He crouched down and traced his fingers delicately over the curve of the woman's cheek. They trailed down her throat, over the gaping wound there, down past her collarbone and came to rest on her chest. Magnus pushed his palm flat against her chest and cocked his head to the side, as if listening to a strange noise.

"What is it?" Alec prompted.

"I can't be sure," Magnus replied quietly. "I'll need to take a closer look. Let's go back to our place."

The warlock reached his arm out and aimed his palm to the area of the apartment where he had appeared. Blue sparks shot out from his hand as he muttered an incantation. I watched in amazement as a portal began to materialize in the room. I'd read about portals enough to know what they looked like, but never in my life had I actually used one. My stomach did a flip as I realized Alec and Magnus did not know I was inexperienced with portals. It felt embarrassing to have to admit it. It made me feel like a child.

When Magnus finished the spell he slipped his arms under the woman's knees and shoulders and lifted her from the floor with minimal effort. Thick globs of blood splattered against the floor and Magnus groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Of all the days to wear a white suit," he grumbled. "I'll meet you boys other there."

Magnus crossed the room and walked through the portal. Alec put his hands on his hips and looked around.

"I'll have to convince him to come back here and clean up the mess. It'll take him much less time than it would for us to do it," he commented.

I followed the other Shadowhunter as he stepped around the pool of blood and approached the portal. As he stepped forward to walk into the portal I reached out and grabbed his wrist. Alec looked over his shoulder at me questioningly.

"Sorry," I apologized, releasing his wrist. "I just - I've never used a portal before."

A look of surprise crossed Alec's face. "Really? It's easy. All you have to do is picture in your head where you want to go, then you just walk into it."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Easy as that?"

His smile faltered. "On second thought, maybe you should just hang on to me."

Alec extended his hand. I hesitated. He may have not had a problem holding hands with other guys, but that was something I was not accustomed to. Alec noticed my hesitation, but thankfully did not make any comment. Instead he repositioned his hand to grasp my forearm, making the gesture much less intimate. I wrapped my own fingers around his forearm and stepped up to the portal, swallowing hard.

"Let me do all the work. Just, whatever you do, don't let go," Alec instructed.

I gave a shaky nod and we moved forward together. Gusts of wind whipped at my hair and sucked the air from my lungs. A wave of nausea rolled over me as my stomach flipped and clenched. Dizziness joined the assault on me and my palms began to sweat. My hand slipped down closer to Alec's wrist. He immediately tightened his hold on me. I slammed my eyes shut and gritted my teeth, willing myself not to vomit.

Suddenly my feet hit a hard surface and my knees gave out from underneath me. Alec cursed as I crashed against the floor, but I was already pushing myself to my feet before he could offer to help me up. I bolted to the sink in the kitchen just in time to puke all over the shiny surface. Even when there was nothing left to vomit, my stomach roiled and I dry heaved until my muscles cramped.

A hand tentatively touched my back and began to rub up and down in soothing motions. I pushed my damp hair back from my forehead with a shaky hand and spit into the sink. Another hand held a glass of water in front of my face. I took it gratefully and used the first swig to rinse out my mouth before gulping down the rest of the glass. I straightened and turned on the tap, rinsing out the sink until there was no visible evidence of my sickness. Placing the empty glass in the sink, I turned to find Alec standing at my side, a sympathetic look on his face.

"Sorry. I should have warned you about the side effects," he said.

"Sorry I threw up in your clean sink," I replied, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

"Better the sink than the floor."

I opened my mouth to agree but I was interrupted by another voice.

"Alec?"

JC came hurrying down the hall, his expression concerned, but when he saw me he slowed his pace and narrowed his eyes.

"I thought I heard someone getting sick."

I raised my hand. "That was me."

JC's lip curled as he measured me up. "Why are you not wearing a shirt?"

"Leave him alone, JC," Alec growled.

The dark-haired Shadowhunter crossed the kitchen and walked up to the sofa in the living room. He reached over the back and snatched up a piece of material. He offered the fabric to me as he came to stand at my side again. I picked it up gingerly and unfolded it to reveal a plain white shirt with long blue sleeves. I slipped the shirt on without complaint. Alec's scent filled my nostrils.

"So what is he doing here?" JC grumbled.

Alec crossed his arms, the muscles in his biceps bulging. "Jace is allowed over here whenever he likes. Get over it."

JC's eyes blazed. "I don't remember discussing this."

"It's not up for discussion," Alec retorted. "It's my decision. Magnus won't have a problem with it. If there was a vote it would be two against one. Just deal with it, JC."

JC's hands clenched into fists. He approached Alec and forced himself into the other Shadowhunter's personal space.

"Don't be an idiot, Alexander," he snarled. "We can't trust him."

"Oh, bull!" Alec shouted. "You just don't like Jace. Admit it, JC. You feel threatened by him."

"That piece of shit doesn't threaten me!" JC yelled, shoving Alec roughly.

Alec gave JC a return shove. Suddenly the two Shadowhunters were grappling each other, grunting and snarling in rage. I stepped forward, unsure of what to do. JC rammed his knee up into Alec's stomach. Alec yelled and released JC. The two straightened, glaring at each other. Just as I thought the scuffle was over, Alec threw out his fist and punched JC squarely in the jaw. The silver-haired Shadowhunter dropped to the floor on his side. Alec took a step forward but I stopped him.

"Alec don't!"

Reluctantly, Alec retreated. His eyes were blue infernos as he glared down at his partner. His fists trembled at his sides in fury. Before he could change his mind and go after JC again, I moved forward and offered my hand to help the other Shadowhunter up.

JC's dark eyes met mine. His lip curled and he slapped my hand away. He pushed himself to his feet and glowered at me. The hatred visible in his eyes sent a shiver down my spine and I took an involuntary step back. Suddenly he lunged at me.

Alec's hand shot out and he shoved me behind him, shielding me with his own body. JC's look of surprise mirrored my own. Alec and JC were partners; they had known each other for a long time. But Alec was protecting _me_.

"Don't you dare touch him," Alec warned, his voice venomous.

JC took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself. "I don't want to hurt Jace, Alec. I just want him gone."

There was a moment of silence, then Alec said, "I think you're lying."

JC bristled. "Excuse me?"

"Just tell the truth. You've never liked Jace. And the reason why you never told me that Jace was hurt was because you wanted him to die. You knew he wouldn't go to a hospital. You knew he had no way of contacting me. You hoped he would bleed to death. You didn't think I would go out and find him, did you?"

"Fine. I admit that I don't like Jace," JC hissed. "But I never wanted him dead. There are too few Shadowhunters left as it is. I did not expect for him to survive his injuries. How fortunate that he's standing here now. However, I don't trust him and I certainly don't want him working with us."

"Well tough. Jace stays," Alec said firmly. "And if you try to hurt him or do him wrong in any way, I'll throw your ass out. Don't count on being alive when I do it, either."

JC's nostrils flared as he stared daggers at his partner. I could see his jaw bulge as he ground his teeth together behind closed lips. His eyes flicked over Alec's shoulder to lock with mine. His gaze scalded me and turned my blood to ice at the same time. Without another word, JC turned on his heel and stormed off down the hallway. I jumped at the loud slam of a door. Deep down I knew that this was not the end; one way or another, the problem would have to be resolved.

Alec let out a breath and turned to face me. He looked completely exhausted, not that I could blame him. JC and Alec were like brothers, and to fight with someone who was like family with both fists and words was physically and mentally taxing.

"Sorry about that," Alec said softly.

At a loss for words, all I could do was nod my head. Alec walked past me and headed for the closed door of Magnus's room. He stopped with his hand resting on the doorknob and looked at me over his shoulder.

"Jace, you're welcome to come and go from the penthouse whenever you like, but I'd advise you to stay away if I'm not with you."

My insides went cold at what Alec was inferring. JC could possibly be trusted to behave around me if Alec was present, but my safety could not be guaranteed if JC and I were alone together. Though JC had told us he had no intention of wanting me dead, I had heard the emptiness behind his words. Alec was now taking sides with me instead of him. If that hadn't struck a nerve, I didn't know what else could. There was no doubt in my mind that, without Alec around, JC would be capable of anything, including taking my life.


	8. Chapter 8 (Divided)

**Hi, everybody! Sorry this one is a little late! I had to get two different fic chapters written today, so it was a little time consuming. Anyway, here's the next chapter. :) We're getting closer to finding the killer, which also means this fic is coming to an end, but not for a few chapters yet. I wanted to add another confrontation to this chapter, but I thought it would have been way too long, so look forward to seeing it in the next chapter. As always, thanks for reading, following and reviewing! More reviews are welcome and encouraged! :) Enjoy and happy reading! **

Magnus's room - if it could still be classified as a room - was huge. His room was bigger than my entire apartment. My jaw hung open as I stepped through the doorway and looked around in awe. As with the living room, one wall was completely made of glass, displaying the bright colors of New York night life outside. On one side of the room was an office, complete with a large mahogany desk, book shelves, a desktop printer, various other office supplies and three high tech flat screen computer monitors. On the opposite side was a makeshift lab. There was a long solid table, where a body-shaped lump covered by a white sheet was currently residing. Against the wall were rows upon rows of expensive-looking wooden cupboards. Finally, on the last side of the room was a black four poster bed with scarlet sheets and blankets. The lack of wrinkles in the upholstery suggested no one had slept there in some time, but I still felt warmth in my cheeks as my eyes automatically flitted over to Alec. He noticed the expression on my face, but only grinned and proceeded over to the lab table. I followed him, still drinking in the size and contents of the room.

"It's about time you two showed up."

I jumped at the sound of Magnus's voice. As Alec laughed at my unease, Magnus straightened from his crouch on the other side of the table. I hadn't been able to see the top of his head from the other side. The warlock straightened and set a folded piece of black material on the table and reached up to adjust his glasses. He kicked the door of the table cupboard shut with his foot.

"What took you so long?" he asked.

Alec cleared his throat. "We had a slight...altercation with our other tenant."

Magnus frowned. "Is everything all right?"

Alec avoided his question. "Did you find anything?"

The warlock's frown turned into a scowl, and when he looked at me I shifted my gaze. "Do I need to light someone's ass on fire?"

"I took care of it," Alec said heatedly. "Don't worry about it, Mags."

Magnus's expression softened at the sound of his nickname but he grumbled, "There is such a thing as having too much testosterone in a closed area. Just give me the word and I'll kick his ass out."

Alec smiled and asked again, "Did you find anything?"

Magnus crossed his arms and lifted his chin proudly. "I found something very interesting. Or rather, I _didn't_ find something."

Alec and I shared a look of confusion. Magnus slipped out of his bloodstained jacket and tossed it aside before rolling up the sleeves of his black dress shirt. He grabbed the edge of the white sheet covering the body and rolled it back far enough to leave the upper half of the woman's body exposed. Magnus had removed her shirt but left her bra on. Her skin was startlingly pale in contrast to the hot pink material. Alec's eyes wandered over her chest and abdomen, searching for any strange marks, but I kept my eyes trained on her face, uncomfortable with her present state.

"I don't see anything," Alec objected.

Magnus reached over the table and mussed his boyfriend's hair. Alec made a cry of protest and slapped Magnus's hand away, attempting to fix his disheveled faux hawk.

"That's because I haven't shown you yet, Lexy."

Magnus snapped his fingers and all the lights in the room flicked off, drowning us in darkness. My breath hitched in my throat as I thought about the vampires that had ambushed us in the darkness. The warlock's soft voice pulled me out of my recollection as he whispered a flow of strange words. Suddenly a blue glow began to emanate from the woman's chest. The glow began to brighten a spread until a form began to take shape. When Magnus stopped chanting, Alec and I found ourselves staring down at a glowing handprint.

"What the hell is that?" Alec asked breathlessly.

"It's called a handprint, love."

Alec glared at the warlock. "I meant why couldn't we see it before? And what causes something like that?"

"I'm not sure." Magnus pointed down at the glowing mark. "But see where it's positioned? I want to cut her open and look at her heart."

"Don't sound so eager about it," I said sarcastically.

Magnus snapped his fingers and the lights flicked back on again, blinding me temporarily. When my vision returned, the warlock had inclined his head and was peering at me over the rims of his glasses.

"Do you want to catch this psychopath or not? It's not like she's alive and I'm cutting her open for kicks."

"I know that." My throat tightened under both Magnus's and Alec's scrutiny. "It's just... Respect, you know? Have a little respect for the dead."

Magnus raised an eyebrow and looked over at Alec. "Where'd you find, Mr. Superstitious?"

"Be nice," Alec scolded.

Magnus reached for the folded black material on the table and began to unfurl it. I caught the glimmer of light reflecting off the shiny surfaces of surgical tools. Magnus caught Alec and I staring and flicked his wrist in a shooing motion.

"If respect is what you want, you two go stand over there and let the experienced coroner do his business in privacy. I'll have to remove the rest of her clothing so I can open her up."

With a shrug, Alec turned and sauntered across the room to the bed. He plopped down on the mattress and leaned up against one of the posters at the foot of the bed, his back to Magnus. I approached the opposite side, letting my fingers reach down to touch the softness of the scarlet covers. Alec patted the mattress, signalling for me to sit down, before clasping his hands behind his head. I hesitated before seating myself in a position similar to Alec's. Instead of clasping my hands behind my head, I rested them in my lap and fidgeted with my fingers.

"What's on your mind, Shadowhunter?"

Alec's eyes were closed, but when I looked over at him he peeked at me through one eye. When I shook my head Alec turned his face to glare at me and I folded.

"Sorry for causing tension between you and JC."

Alec snorted and moved his head back, closing his eyes again. "Don't be. He can be an ass, and so can I. He'll get over it. It's not like that was our first brawl."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah." Alec looked at me again. "We got into it once. JC got a few good swings in there, but Magnus ended up having to pull me off of him."

"Still, I'll bet JC's never wanted _you_ dead."

"Yeah. If he wanted me dead, he never would have stopped me from jumping off that roof."

My mouth dropped when it registered in my mind what I had said. "Oh, God, Alec. I'm sorry. I-"

The Shadowhunter waved his hand in dismissal. "Don't worry about it. It's the truth, after all."

I rubbed a hand over my face. _Change the subject, dumbass. _"So what's the next step from here?"

There was a blood-curdling crack that echoed through the room, and I tried not to think about the ribs that Magnus had just cracked open. Alec looked unbothered by the noise.

"Hopefully we can figure out what the handprint is all about. If we can narrow down what kind of thing is capable of doing this, we can-" Alec stopped suddenly and chewed his lip.

"We can what?" I prompted.

Alec's arms dropped to his sides and he angled his body towards me. "Don't freak out."

My eyes narrowed. "What?"

"We can go out and find informants. Get information from them."

I clenched a handful of the bedcover in my fist and lowered my voice. "Are you crazy? After what happened to you-"

Alec leaned across the bed and clamped his hand over my mouth. He glanced over his shoulder to see if Magnus had heard before pinning his eyes on me again. He shifted closer to me and removed his hand.

"That's not going to happen to either of us," he assured me. "We'll work as a team. I'll take care of the payments. You'll stand guard, and if anything goes wrong you'll kill the bastard."

"Alec, no."

He leaned in closer towards me, near enough that I could tell his eyebrow piercing matched the color of his eyes. "What happened to me won't happen again. I'll give those guys money, blood or anything else that isn't my body."

"I don't think-"

"Gentlemen."

Both of our heads snapped towards the warlock at the same time. I couldn't help but notice Magnus's narrowed eyes and the suspicious look on his face. It occurred to me how it might look from Magnus's point of view with Alec and I sitting beside each other on the bed, comfortable despite our close proximity. I scooted off the bed hurriedly and headed back towards the lab table with Alec in pursuit. Thankfully, the woman had been completely covered with the white sheet again.

Magnus studied me a moment longer than necessary before plastering a smile on his face and turning to Alec. "Want to see something interesting?"

"Give it to me," Alec said.

The warlock's grin widened. "Excellent choice of words. Check it out."

Magnus raised his arm and showed us the heart balanced on his fingertips. I wrinkled my nose when I saw he had not bothered to put on gloves before going wrist deep in a dead person's chest cavity, but as my eyes lifted upwards all I could focus on were the black scorch marks surrounding the muscle.

"By the Angel..." Alec said.

Magnus raised the finger of his free hand. "Ah, ah. It gets even better. See how the charring is widest here, but gradually gets thinner as you go around?" Magnus twisted his wrist to showcase his point. "Well, watch this." He placed the palm of his hand against the widest black mark and strategically wrapped his fingers around the heart. When he twisted his wrist to show us, his fingers had covered the scorch marks perfectly.

"So, let me get this straight," Alec began, thinking aloud, "This thing...whatever it is...somehow manages to get it's hand inside a person's chest, burn the heart and then pull its hand out, and only manages to leave an invisible handprint behind in the process?"

"Sounds about right," Magnus said. "Except for the 'burn the heart' thing."

"What's your theory?" I asked.

"Remember when you said you'd seen victims three times the size of this girl who'd died without a scratch on them, Alec? Well what if that's how this thing is killing them? I don't think its burning the heart. I think its physically taking the life from Shadowhunters."

Alec crooked his fingers at the warlock. "I'm gonna need a little more than that."

"Your heart keeps you alive, right? What if this thing grabs onto your heart and absorbs your life? Takes the life from you and consumes it. The marks aren't necessarily burns. They could be, but they might not. I've never heard of any demon that could do something like this."

Alec looked pointedly at me, as if this was a sign that we needed help from Downworlders, but I ignored him and asked Magnus, "Do you think you could look into it? Try to find some information?"

"I suppose I could try," he replied, his voice cool.

"Let's start tomorrow," Alec suggested. "We'll have a bite to eat, get some sleep and start with clear heads in the morning."

"Sounds good to me," I agreed.

Alec casually slung his arm across my shoulders and smiled across the table at Magnus. "Meet me in the living room after you've cleaned up?"

The warlock snapped his fingers and the heart disappeared from his hand, alongside all the bloodstains on his skin and clothes. He stepped around the table and up to Alec's other side. He slid his arm around Alec's waist and pulled the Shadowhunter against his hip, casting a not-so-subtle glare in my direction. Alec's arm slid off my shoulders.

"Already taken care of, love."

I followed the couple out of Magnus's room, where the three of us came to a halt in the space between the kitchen and the living room. I positioned myself at Alec's free side to see what was going on. It didn't surprise me to see JC leaning against one of the counters, his arms folded and his eyes watching us carefully. Even though I was with Magnus and Alec, I could still feel the temperature of my blood drop a couple degrees.

"I'll be the bigger man and apologize first," JC grumbled before anyone could speak up. "Jace, I'm sorry for the mean things I said about you, and for you almost dying. Alec, I'm sorry for kneeing you in the stomach, and for speaking out against your totalitarian regime."

"JC," Alec said, "I'm sorry you're such an asshole, and for punching you in the face."

JC nodded, accepting the apology. "All I want to do is catch the bastard that's murdering us. Since I can't do it alone, I'm willing to be nice and work as a team, Jace included."

"Really?" Alec questioned, his voice icy. "You sure I can trust you with that?"

"I think you can trust him," Magnus interjected.

Alec, JC and I turned to the warlock at the same time, caught off guard by his comment. He hadn't witnessed the scuffle between Alec and JC, nor had he heard that JC had almost let me bleed to death. Moments ago he'd said he was willing to throw JC out of the penthouse, but now he was openly saying we should trust him.

"Is that so?" Alec said, looking up at the warlock.

Magnus's yellow cat eyes fell on me and he pulled Alec tighter against him. "Yes. Three Shadowhunters is better than two, don't you think?"

I couldn't hear Alec's reply through the pounding of blood in my ears. I'd thought Magnus was my ally, but now the warlock was using JC as a wedge to shove between me and Alec. It was clear through his possessive actions and suspicious glances that Magnus thought there was something more between Alec and I than just friendship. Alec and I sitting so close together in Magnus's room must have struck a nerve. I wondered if he knew about the night Alec had almost kissed me.

When I looked up again, my stomach dropped to find JC staring at me. His dark eyes shifted from me over to Magnus, and back to me again. Clearly, he was not oblivious to what was going on. The Shadowhunter relaxed and leaned back farther against the counter, a malicious smile tugging at his lips. His dark eyes sparkled.

I took a step back and swallowed hard. For the second time in a matter of hours my sense of security had been ripped from me. The room seemed to shrink and suddenly it was hard to breathe. JC was still watching me with the same malevolent sneer. He hadn't said another word, but his expression screamed, "You've got your neck out and throat exposed, Jace. And Magnus just handed me a knife."


End file.
